PHOENIX — Fresh off a pair of consecutive rounds of 72 to close the weather-shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Viktor Hovland withdrew from this week’s WM Phoenix Open on Monday.
Hovland, who is ranked fourth in the world, wasn’t the only top player who decided to skip an appearance in the desert. No. 5 Xander Schauffele, who finished T-54 last week in Monterey after opening with a round of 73, also withdrew from the WM Phoenix Open. His finish at Pebble Beach was his first outside the top 10 in four starts this year.
Schauffele tied for 10th and Hovland tied for 42nd at last year’s WM Phoenix Open. Although the two will be absent, the field is still impressive this week.
The No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler, will attempt his third straight win at TPC Scottsdale. The previous golfer to win three straight events on the PGA Tour was Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic in 2009-11.
Also in the field at TPC Scottsdale will be Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas – they are among the nine players in the OWGR top 20 to tee it up this week. Although the WM Phoenix Open isn’t a signature event this year, many of the best on the PGA Tour will battle for the top prize of $1.584 million that’s part of $8.8 million purse .
Xander Schauffele WD from the WM Phoenix Open; Alexander Björk in.
Sami Valimaki is now the first alternate.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) February 5, 2024
Thorbjorn Oleson, who is ranked No. 54, has also pulled out of the event. Victor Perez, Jorge Campillo and Alexander Bjork have all been added to the field.
